The Triangle Murders
by MidnyghtMadnes
Summary: To everyone's surprise, after college Mabel became an FBI agent while her brother Dipper moved to Gravity Falls to run the shack alongside his great-uncle Stan. Currently following a series of murders, Mabel returns to Gravity Falls on less than ideal terms in order to investigate the latest victim. Can she catch a serial killer that's always two steps ahead and always watching?
1. Welcome to Gravity Falls!

*A/N: So this is the first fanfiction I've written. It's already been up on AO3 for awhile and I got requests to also add it to this site. I was a reader on this site a loong time ago, but publishing stories on here is definitely different from AO3 lol ^^; Anyway, this story is actually kind of on a hiatus. I currently have up to chapter 7 done, but I'll post those on here later (or if you're impatient you can find it on AO3 yourself lol). I can tell you this story will definitely be finished one day... how long that takes is a different question. I'll tell you right now my motivation was high when I first started writing this. Just a word of advice, if you like a story, comment on it. It can be small (though something more in-depth makes you the most wonderful person ever). I think a big hurdle for me was the lack of attention I got when I first published this on AO3, when I would see so many other writers getting attention. Maybe it's just that my story isn't good. But that's just my two cents. In any case, I hope you like my story and like I said, the updating will be irregular but it'll have a complete ending :)

* * *

Dipper Pines  
Online

DP Hey, how've you been?

MP Fine I suppose. I won't be coming back under the best of circumstances, but I'm glad I'll get to see you and Grunkle Stan after so long. It'll be a nice breath of fresh air.

DP Don't work yourself too hard. When will you be coming?

MP I'll be driving over there this Thursday. Hopefully we'll have some time to catch up before I have to get in gear with this case.

DP We're having movie night right when you get here. You can't say no.

MP I'm being threatened already. I'm hurt Dipper. I'm picking the movie though. It's only fair.

DP You're going to make us sit through another awful romantic comedy, aren't you? Those things take years off my lifespan, you know.

MP You're so dramatic that it makes me even less likely to change my mind

DP Just please don't let it involve some horrible rendition of hot werewolves or vampires.

MP I can't make any promises~! Now I think I'm gonna sign off. I really need to get some packing done before turning in for the night.

DP Ok, g'night.

MP Night, bro bro!

DP Don't think we're getting a little old for the nicknames?

MP Never

DP Heh, didn't think so. I have a few errands to run tomorrow so I might not be able to make it on skype until late. In case we don't get a chance to chat, then I guess I'll be seeing you Thursday.

MP Okie dokie!

Mabel Pines  
Offline

* * *

A Volkswagen Beetle sporting a reddish-pink hue settled into the driveway, its croaking engine dying down as the keys were pulled from the ignition. A head of wavy locks poked its head outside the door, eyes sparkling with delight. She couldn't happier to find her five-minutes younger twin and bestest friends waiting for her on the porch. Squealing, she ran up to hug Candy and Grenda, their cries startling the nearby birds into flight. Dipper looked over at her, a gentle smile crossing his face. Taking in her clothes, he could see still nothing had changed over the past year. Black tank top underneath with a dark blue sweater hanging unevenly from one shoulder, a light blue skirt matching her headband, and black tights along with flats. Just her style.

"I'm being left hanging here," he murmured, attempting to sound pouty. Mabel giggled and shifted to give her brother a big bear hug.

"I'm so happy to see you guys. Never realized 'til now how much I had missed this old shack."

Shuffling footsteps sounded behind them, Grunkle Stan standing there with a mug of coffee and a maroon robe over his classic tank top and boxers combo.

"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel said, charging at him next.

"Hey pumpkin, how you been?" Stan asked.

"Oh you know, this and that, the current case I'm following. Though that's nothing Mabel Juice™ can't fix," she said with a wide grin.

"Glad to know you're still kicking. Come on Dipper, help take her stuff up to the attic."

"Right away," Dipper said with a mock salute, but there was no ill attitude behind it. Opening the beetle's trunk, he pulled out the large purple suitcase and the few stray bags. Flinging all those over his shoulder while keeping the luggage lifted above the ground, he made his way into the shack.

"Wow, Dipper's not such a wimp anymore!" Mabel said in feigned surprise.

"Mabel, you know I've been going to the gym since college," his voice called down the steps from the attic.

"The bureau always arranges a place for you to stay when you're going around investigating, don't they?" Stan asked.

"Yep! But I told them I had a relative in town I could stay with. A thousand times better here than at some motel."

"So, are you headed to the station tomorrow?"

"Yeah, to check the files and evidence, all that jazz, but for tonight we all know what's gonna go down," Mabel said, her hand reaching into her purse. Pulling out what was clearly a DVD case, she showed off the case to everyone.

Candy and Grenda immediately erupted into excited clapping and giggling.

"I've been wanting to see that one for forever!" Grenda shouted in a booming voice.

Dipper peered in close to read the title, "After the Midnight Ball? I have no idea what it's about but it already sounds god awful," he groaned in exasperation.

"Too bad! Don't worry dipdop, I promise you'll pick the next movie. Cool?"

Running inside with her two besties, Dipper and Stan followed suit. Everyone settled themselves in the living room as Mabel set up the movie. Then, picking up the remote, she plopped herself down next to her twin with a wide grin.

"Glad to be back?" he whispered as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"You have no idea. We've always gone to visit mom and dad in California, but I haven't been back here since starting college."

"I know. Finally, the mystery twins reunite in Gravity Falls," he said with a quiet chuckle.

"Ok, shh, it's starting," she hushed, poking his shoulder. Just as the last preview was finishing up, the movie menu cropped up. Scrambling to press play, everyone watched quietly as the logos began appearing. But Dipper was only half paying attention, also looking over at Mabel beside him from the corner of his eye. He wore a smile on his face, his eyes keeping watch in silence. He then quickly looked back to the screen lighting up the dark room, wanting to get lost in a quiet time spent around friends and family.


	2. A Grisly Undertaking

Stepping out of her car after parking, Mabel took a good look at the police station. It was a small, decrepit building, a post with the American flag fluttering to the left of the door and graffiti painted on the walls with a familiar marksmanship. Walking through the doors, she approached the secretary at the desk who was talking to someone on the phone with a bored expression.

"Yes, I understand, Mrs. Cleaver. I'll be sure to have someone come over to help with your problem. Don't worry. Have a good day."

The woman shifted her passive expression up to Mabel, her mouth set in a flat line.

"Hi, I'm—" Mabel began with a smile, about to extend her hand.

"The FBI agent right?" she interrupted before Mabel could introduce herself, "the sheriff and deputy are waiting for you in the conference room down that hallway."

Mabel kept up her cheerful demeanor despite the curt response, thanking her and heading down to meet with Sheriff Blubs. Peering inside various rooms, she finally spotted the sheriff seated with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"If it isn't the fancy-shmancy FBI agent. They told us you'd be—wait, Mabel Pines? That you?"

She wasn't surprised by their expression of shock. She'd had several encounters with them during her summers as a kid, and after so long, surely neither of them expected to meet her again, let alone as an FBI agent.

"The one and only," Mabel said, "funny that I'm in here on business rather than from helping my great uncle make counterfeit money, huh?"

"Indeed. Never thought I'd see you take up this line of work, remembering your bubbly personality."

"My twelve year-old self would've thought the same thing."

Looking at them made her realize just how much time had passed from her very first summer. The fact that a whole fourteen years had passed was clear. Sheriff Blubs' grey hair and mustache had turned much whiter, and you could see the creeping wrinkles on their faces.

"Well, s'pose we best get on with why you came," Blubs announced, his hand resting over the file on the table. Passing it to her, Mabel opened it up and looked over the pictures taken at the crime scene. As expected, there was what appeared to be a huge amount of blood loss. All the other victims had been severely wounded with some sort of blunt weapon, usually to the head or back. This one was no different, a deep wound aimed at what appeared to be the parietal region of the skull, though that could only be confirmed once she was shown the body.

"Was the cipher on this one too?" Mabel asked.

"Yep, down along the right arm," deputy Durland said. Shuffling through the photos, she eventually came across the one. Carved into the skin posthumous was a triangle and several strange symbols. Just as she had done previously in order to investigate them later, she jotted down the letters with a pen in a small spiral notebook she always carried in her purse. Drawing them as similarly as she could see, she wound up with something looking like, _ZNLMT GSV GIVVH DRGSRM GSV SREVH SV DZGXSVH ZOO RM WRHTFRHV_. She knew they were of importance, but as of yet she'd been unable to crack any of the three previous codes. The triangle, the runes, and the method of attack have been the only connection between the three, now four, cases. It was for that reason that the case had been dubbed the Triangle Murders.

"And how was the crime scene? Says in the file that the murder occurred around midnight on Saturday, January 1st."

"Uh huh, that's what the examiner roughly estimated after seeing the corpse. As of now it's been about five and a half days since. Body had been left just outside the diner by the dumpster. We only got the 911 call a little past 8:00 a.m. the following morning though."

"I see. So, can we go down to the morgue now?" Mabel asked.

"Sure, I'll take you there," Blubs offered, getting up from his chair.

The two of them made their way down the staircase that led to the morgue. A man in a lab coat was already there in the examination room.

"Mabel, this is Pete our medical examiner. Does all the autopsies, and blah, so on," Blubs said with a wave of his hand.

"Nice meeting you."

"Likewise. I gotta say, this really is out of our loop here in Gravity Falls. The typical stuff is more like fishing without a permit or stealing small tools or silverware or something. Been a long while since I've examined a body."

"Yeah, it's a small town. Stuff like this isn't very common, especially when everyone knows everyone else. Not autopsy yet, I take?"

"Nope, but it's clear what the cause of death was. Fractured skull from something blunt, an axe or club, along those lines."

"Got an ID on him yet?"

"Yep. Either the killer was a bit forgetful or simply didn't care, but we found the man's wallet still in his pocket. His name is Liam Schmitt, worked as a waiter at Greasy's Diner from what we were able to gather."

Mabel made sure to take notes so she could later compare it the other case files in her possession in search of similarities. Mabel approached the body and pulled away the cover. Pulling on a pair a gloves, she picked up his arm and looked for the symbols. Just to make sure she'd jotted them down correctly, corroborated with her notes taken upstairs.

"Okay, I think that about covers it," Mabel said with a nod of approval.

"Sheriff Blubs, any leads you might have before I go?"

Blubs looked over at her with an expression that meant he had not expected to be addressed with such a question.

"Uh, no, not particularly. We had heard an FBI agent would be helping with the case so we didn't feel the need to move ahead before you got here…" he trailed off. Mabel gave out a faint sigh. It wasn't like she hadn't expected this. Just as when she'd spent her summers here, they still didn't take their job very seriously. It was clear she was going to be doing most of the work. Pete, however, seemed like he might be someone she could turn to in the future.

"Pete, here's my number," Mabel said as she ripped a sheet from her notebook, "in case you find out something else while doing the autopsy."

"No problem, agent Pines. I'll be sure to let you know."

With that, Sheriff Blubs and her went back upstairs. They approached the secretary's desk as she was fixing her strawberry blonde hair into a bun.

"Julie, have there been any calls?"

"Not since Steve was called out," Julie explained.

"Then I guess this is a perfect slow time for me to _go out_ ," Blubs said, straightening himself out, "it was nice meeting you again Ms. Pines. Glad to have you on this case."

"Likewise. I hope we can solve this quickly!" Mabel responded enthusiastically. With that she excused herself and got back to her car waiting in the parking lot. She knew the next step would be to stop by Greasy's and interview the employees, see who had found the body, who had been working the night shift with him that day, etcetera. As she caught sight of the diner, she felt a sad twinge. She had hoped that her first time here after so long would be with Dipper and Stan ordering buttermilk pancakes and coffee omelets. She made a mental note that she would drag them here for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Opening the door to the small joint, a little bell went off to signal her arrival. A few people looked her way but most everyone was busy eating and having their own conversations. She saw lazy Susan taking someone's order when the old woman turned her way.

"Whoa! I know you!" she shouted in surprise, her drawl still evident despite the years.

"Hey, lazy Susan. How's the old place keeping up?"

"Oh, great! I got attacked by a woodpecker this morning!"

"Oh, ok. But you're fine, right?" Mabel asked.

"Peachy! So, what can I get ya?"

"Actually, I'm here on business. Do you remember who was working with Liam two days ago?"

At the mention of his name her face fell, something out of character for the eccentric Susan.

"The poor dear… he had big dreams, you know? I was the one who found him when I came in to open shop. I think Brenna had been working with him. She's not coming in today but I can give you her number."

"Thank you Susan. I appreciate the help," Mabel said with gratitude as she took the small piece of paper, "and I'm sorry to push on such a touchy subject, but you found Liam at around 8:00 a.m. correct? Can you give me any details?"

"I came 'round the back and found him lying there. It was awful, all blood, his head…" she trailed off, and Mabel noticed a slight shiver along her arms.

"It's okay, don't worry," she shushed with a hand on her shoulder, "thank you for your time."

She knew when not to press someone, especially after something so traumatizing. Give it a couple of days and lazy Susan might be more willing to share exactly how everything unfolded after finding the body. For now, Mabel went outside and pulled out her cellphone to dial the number scrawled on a napkin. The phone rang twice before a voice on the other end asked, "hello?"

"Brenna? Hi, my name is Mabel Pines from the FBI. I was just wondering if I could ask you a few questions about Liam. Susan said you were working with him the night of the attack."

"Oh, yeah, that. Been trying to forget it happened at all, honestly, but um, sure, shoot."

"Was he acting strange in any way before he left?" she asked, trying to account for the possibility that maybe he knew someone was after him for a grudge or some other reason.

"Nope, same as always. Rushed out of there soon as he clocked out, but that's pretty much the norm. I was busy pickin' up my belongings from the back lockers when I heard him say bye from beyond the employee door."

"You didn't see his car still parked outside when he left?"

"He doesn't own a car so he just walks to work. It was night and it wasn't on my mind to go peeking on him and see where he was headed."

Mabel thought for a moment. No car meant the girl wouldn't have noticed if someone had just dragged him off, and if she didn't hear anything, the perpetrator must've snuck up behind him and killed him before he could scream or shout.

"Know of any enemies he might've had? If he had gotten on someone's bad side?"

"I wouldn't know. All I knew was he was saving up money to get out of this backwater town and moving to the big city upstate. He had big plans for his future, wanted fame and fortune, stuff like that."

"All right. Thank you very much for your time."

Mabel sighed after clicking the red 'end' button on her screen, not having learned much that she didn't already know. She could try to get into contact with his family, but she doubted whether that would be a big help. The biggest step forward would surely happen once she cracked the codes carved into each of the victims' skin. That was when the light bulb above her head couldn't get any brighter. Who better to help her crack a mystic old code than the one and only Dipper Pines, obsessive fan of the supernatural?


	3. Decipher the Ciphers

A knock on his door startled him from sleep. Looking around with groggy eyes, Dipper realized he'd been napping on his desk. He couldn't help but give out a long yawn before telling the person to come in.

"Hey Dippingsauce," Mabel said as she walked into the room, "man, you look exhausted."

"Uh yeah, I was just looking at figures of stuff regarding our sales. I honestly haven't been getting much sleep the last few days."

"Maybe you subconsciously miss sleeping next to your sibling."

"I moved down from the attic a long time ago and I've slept just fine over the years without you. Besides, I'm sure you want your own space by this point, huh?" Dipper teased with a mischievous grin.

"Oh please," Mabel groaned as she rolled her eyes.

"So anyway, what's up? You're back pretty early," Dipper asked.

"Yeah, did some preliminary snooping, but I figured I wouldn't get much until I got this out of the way. I was actually coming to you for help on the matter."

"What is it?"

"Truth be told, I really shouldn't be telling you this at all, confidential stuff, blah, blah. But I've worked at these things and I haven't been able to solve them. There've been weird encrypted writing on the bodies, each time different. I'm sure they mean something. I was wondering if you could give them a shot? You're good at all that stuff so…."

"Of course I'll help you out Mabel. Show me."

Mabel pulled the notepad out of her bag and flipped to the page before handing it to her brother.

\- ORSBER GUR PENFUVAT YVTUG NAQ GUHAQREVAT EBNEF RAWBL GUR PNYZ ORSBER GUR FGBEZ

\- TNNWA GMEAE GHDII BHADB DSEIG TRTRI LIKES HHIXK NENY

\- ZKHQ JUDYLWB IDOOV DQG HDUWK EHFRPHV VNB IHDU WKH EHDVW ZLWK MXVW RQH HBH

\- ZNLMT GSV GIVVH DRGSRM GSV SREVH SV DZGXSVH ZOO RM WRHTFRHV

"Well, definitely doesn't look like it'll be easy. And I have no doubt that each of these have been coded using different ciphers."

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"You don't know what he's after yet, what his motive is right? Maybe this is all just a game to him. Maybe he wants you to figure out what they mean. If that's the case, he wouldn't want to make it too easy for you."

"True. That's just great. It'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack. There are a bunch of different ciphers out there, and if any of these uses a keyword, then I'm screwed on this front. You would think that with the fact that the person clearly spends a lot of time marking the victim's skin, there would be some kind of DNA evidence. They loop around from the arms to the chest and down to the legs, depending on how long the actual code is."

"Hmm. I'll try and figure them out. I can't make you any guarantees though," Dipper said after assessing them for a few moments in silence, "I'll just copy them down so you can keep this," Dipper said, pulling up a blank sheet of paper.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I know right? I'm just that awesome," Dipper replied as he puffed out his chest.

"Uh huh, sure," Mabel retorted, making her way to the door.

"Hey Mabel…."

"Yeah?"

"Just how dangerous is this case? I mean… you're sure of what you're getting into right? This guy could be anywhere, right under our noses. I just—"

"C'mon, have a little faith in me, huh? This isn't the hardest case I've ever come across, and I solved all those previous. I'll solve this one too and put the guy behind bars."

"I'm just worried for you. This guy is clearly psychotic."

Mabel walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder and pressing a peck to his cheek.

"I understand, and it makes me happy to know that you're always looking out for me, but don't worry okay? I'll be upstairs looking over the files and stuff if you need me. And there's no rush to the figuring out all those encryptions. I know you have the shack to run so take your time, all right? Don't need you losing more sleep than you already do."

As soon as she left his room, there was a shift in Dipper's expression, so slight that only a trained eye could catch it. Dipper listened to the steps of his sister climbing up to the attic. Once they stopped he deemed it safe to assume she'd settled down in a chair to begin looking over the files as she'd said she would. Dipper stood up from his desk and walked through the house. It was suddenly feeling claustrophobic inside and he hoped some fresh air would help him relax a little. Entering the gift shop he spotted Stan organizing money at the cash register.

"Grunkle Stan, I'm going outside for a bit. I promise to take the next group of people out on tour when I get back okay?"

"Yeah, you better. You've been slacking off in your room all day," he muttered in return without looking up. Dipper chuckled a bit to himself, knowing his great-uncle was just trying to appear gruff on the outside. Dipper walked out the front door to the shop and walked down the familiar path into the forest. He always found comfort in these woods and had found a special place not long after moving here while he had been on a mystery hunt. Knowing the track by memory, he weaved through familiar trees until he finally spotted the rocky outcrop that overlooked a meandering stream. He settled down on the small cliff's edge, his back against a nearby tree. The only sounds came from the assortment of woodlands creatures he couldn't see, a chorus of bird chirps and bug buzzes. Dipper closed his eyes and let his head fall back as he tried to relax. Though it didn't last long as a familiar finger tapped his shoulder.

"I wish I'd taken it a step farther back then. It would make things easier for the both of us," Dipper said to the person behind him without moving.

"Well, I wish I could help with that, but I always do my best to keep up my end of a bargain as it was made originally, so the terms of the deal stay the same," the voice responded. Dipper could just see the wide grin plastered on the man's face in his mind's eye.

"You mean to tell me you weren't after your own interests?" he said with feigned surprise.

"Oh please, not this discussion again. Sure, I may take an advantage at times, but I like you kid. By now you should at least know that."

"Sure," Dipper said, neither confirming nor denying his statement.

"Putting that aside, I see we have some things to mull over."

"I got an uncomfortable feeling inside, though honestly I can't really say why."

"And now you're here. Walking out alone to the woods isn't something most normal folk spend their time doing."

"You always have to turn everything into a joke, don't you? I don't need to explain; you already know everything after all. And surely you also already know what I think our next step should be."

"Yep. To which I say do whatever you think will work out best, considering I have no intention of stopping what I'm planning. I do think maybe reworking our tactics might throw them for a loop."

"Whatever you decide," Dipper responded with a shrug.

"I just hope that she doesn't start affecting your ability to work."

"Oh don't worry, that's long gone," he hissed back.

"Whoa, relax a bit. I get your harsh feelings but don't take them out on me. Now get up. I'm sure your uncle won't notice if you're gone a little longer than expected," the voice ordered. Doing as told, Dipper got up from the ground, brushing stray leaves and twigs off his pants. The owner of the voice had already started walking ahead. Dipper followed, his eyes to shifting from left to right as they travelled deeper into the wood.

* * *

As Mabel entered the attic room that bittersweet feeling fell over her again. It had been the same last night after they had watched the movie. The desk propped up against the wall under the triangle-shaped window was covered with her stuff rather than Dipper's summer reading books. With his bed no longer there to the left side, the room felt a lot emptier. Mabel then shook all those thoughts out of her head—she could stand there stuck in the past or get to work solving this case. She sat down at the desk and turned on the lantern that still sat there, taking out the file she'd brought back from the station to compare with the previous documents.

The three previous victims had been, in order of their deaths, Sam Welsh, Christian Faulkner, and Victoria Hale—along with the most recent addition of Liam Schmitt. Sam Welsh was an immigrant living in Washington State under government programs. Christian Faulkner was a wealthy businessman; everyone she'd interviewed had mentioned, in some way or other, his success in a particular deal that led the company's profits to skyrocket. Victoria had been married to Thomas Hale for the past seven years after her previous husband Richard King had committed suicide and left her a widow with two kids to care for. And now with the tidbits given to her, she'd figured out that Liam was a young adult working part time in a dream of moving to Portland someday. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to get into contact with his parents.

Picking up her cell phone, Mabel wedged it between her ear and neck while flipping through the photos of the victims.

"Gravity Falls Police Station, Julie speaking."

"Julie, hi, it's me Mabel Pines. Did the sheriff make contact with anyone related to Liam Schmitt? If not, I was wondering if you could get someone there to do a quick search though the database for any relatives of his."

Mabel was put on hold as the secretary went to do as she asked. She continued to absentmindedly look over the files, already knowing all the information written there. When the hold music stopped and she heard shuffling on the other end, she adjusted her cellphone and closed the folders.

"Okay, I got them for you. Kimberly and George Schmitt. The kid moved out when he was eighteen. He'd been working at the diner for a little under a year by that point, but it was only about a month or so after his birthday that he moved into an apartment close to the place. His parents still live in their small house closer to town. Here's the address…."

"Thanks a bunch. See you around," Mabel said before hanging up. Maybe she lady wasn't as aloof as she came off to be. She'd seemed perfectly willing to help her out with the small favor. Standing up, Mabel picked up her bag and went down the steps.

"I'm going out grunkle Stan," she called as she passed the register.

"All right. Be safe," she heard in response just after she shut the front door. As she went down the porch steps and walked toward her car she spotted the golf cart driving off into the forest. It was a group of 7 people led by a familiar mess of brunet hair. She couldn't help the smile on her face. It made her happy to see her brother doing something he enjoyed so much, surrounded by all manner of supernatural weirdness. After the tour group disappeared, Mabel settled into the driver's seat of her beetle, her next stop to be the house of Liam's parents.

* * *

"Ding~dong~"

Only a couple seconds passed before the door opened. Standing before the young investigator was a woman with a harried expression, her tangled black hair further proof of that.

"Mrs. Schmitt? My name is Mabel Pines. I'm with the FBI."

"FBI? Is there any news? Anything? Can we—"

"I'm sorry, but it is still an ongoing investigation. If you give me your number, I would be more than happy to fill you in on details as they come in. I actually came here to see if you could tell me a little bit about Liam, see if I can't figure out how it all connects."

"Oh, be my guest," the woman said, directing her into the living room. After sitting down, Mabel let her eyes wander over the room before focusing on the mother.

"Is your husband present?"

"No, he's at work," she answered simply.

"Ah. So, about Liam. He was staying in an apartment and working a job at Greasy's Diner. Moved out of here when he was 18?"

"Yeah, he always wanted to become independent. George can be a bit… strict at times. Liam hoped to make money in music. He had his own guitar that he saved up for, wanted to start a band with his friends. I know he wanted to leave, move up to Portland for a first stop. He'd found a job and started saving up money and as soon as he turned 18 he wanted a taste of living on his own. I always had support for all his decisions, though maybe George a little less. Still, that he'll never get a chance to…" Mrs. Schmitt explained before cutting herself off with a combination of coughing and a crack in her voice.

"So your husband, he didn't like the direction Liam had decided to take?"

"Not much. They constantly argued with one another. His visits here grew less and less. I was always caught between them. It was rough at times."

With notebook in hand Mabel took shorthand notes of everything Mrs. Schmitt said.

"Do you have any idea who might've gone after your son?"

"No. He got along well with everyone he met. Very charismatic, outgoing. His grades were more than decent too. I honestly can't imagine why anyone would kill him."

"All right, I think that's all I need. I did mean it about the phone number. Would you like to give it to me?" Mabel asked.

"Sure. Here," Mrs. Schmitt said as she wrote a series of numbers down in an elegant script.

"Okay. Soon as I know something else I can share with you, I will. Thanks for your time," Mabel said with a sincere smile. Saying goodbye, Mabel stood outside in the driveway to think. There was still nothing to connect. If this were a standalone case, she might start with the father, considering Mrs. Schmitt's words about conflicts ensuing between them. But it wasn't a standalone case; there were three other murders besides this one. The first two had occurred in Washington State, then Victoria's murder in Idaho, and now Liam in Oregon. There were no obvious correlations with one another. What connection could there be with a top CEO and a kid hoping to become a rockstar? Clearly there was a huge piece of the puzzle she was missing. There had to be something that linked them together. Sure, there was the off chance they were dealing with a plain case of insanity and unreasonable killing, but it didn't feel that way to her. No, there had to be something. And she would find out what.


	4. Lies Behind Truth

There was a loud knocking before the door swooshed open, defeating the purpose of signaling presence in the first place. Dipper lifted an eyelid open and shifted his gaze towards the entrance where his sister stood wearing a floofy white t-shirt, a red weaved cardigan, and a pair of jeans.

"Rise and shine!" she shouted, her smile couldn't get any wider.

"May I ask what is so important that it deems to wake me up at—" he looked at the clock that hung on the wall above his desk—"nine in the morning?"

"One should always get an early start on the day. Especially when that day consists of breakfast at our favorite food place!"

"Enlighten me," Dipper joked as he sat up.

"Please don't confirm my suspicions that you're a lot dimmer than you look. Anyway, get dressed. I shall awaken the grunkle-y uncle," Mabel exclaimed. Before Dipper could get a word of protest out, she was gone, her footfalls bouncing off the rickety walls. Letting out a sigh with a smile, Dipper got up and began to get ready. As he did so, he found himself staring at an old photo of him and Mabel from their first summer, still young and loving all the craziness of this town. Then life hits and you have to think more towards the "real and important" stuff. A lot of feeling stirred around as he thought about those days, some pleasant, some less pleasant. But there was one resounding feeling out of all of them, one he'd carried on with him since moving here permanently to the Falls.

"Dipper! You ready?"

Shaken out of his reverie, Dipper pulled on a jacket, "yeah, I'm coming!"

* * *

"If the fancy flour bothers you so much, I guess I'll have to stoop to the level of paying for my own meal."

"C'mon kiddo, I'm just playing. Whatever you want on me. I mean it."

Mabel leaned to the side and whispered in her brother's ear, "and that, my friend, is reverse psychology at work."

"Well done," he approved with a wink and a thumbs up.

"So I hear you're having a bit of trouble with the case," grunkle Stan asked as he perused the menu.

"Oh, indeed. I've hit an undeniable roadblock. I can't for the life of me fathom what the killer could possibly be after with these victims. There's hardly been any actual evidence to work with too."

"Oh, Mabes, I started getting to work cracking the some of the ciphers. When I get some free time later in the day I have no doubt I'll be able to get them solved."

"Yeah? Gosh, that'd be so great. I'm just hoping those will give me an idea of… something ."

"Hi, are you all ready to order?" a lady came up, her face covered in freckles and her light brown hair put up in pigtails.

"Some coffee for me please, black," Stan started. Mabel locked eyes with her brother and mouthed something, to which he nodded.

"He and I both want a glass of orange juice. For the food, I wanna try out these cupcake-flavored pancakes."

"I'd like the eggs, bacon, and toast combo."

"And the steak omelette for me."

"Ok. I'll bring your dishes out in a bit," she said before walking away.

"Oh, I don't think I've even mentioned this to you before. You remember Pacifica Northwest right?"

"Sure I do. I take it she stayed around?"

"Yeah. We sort of became… business associates if you will. She decided to use a portion of her wealth to help the town by investing in new businesses, community projects, and similar activities. With her monetary backing, the local government has been able to improve on things like education and other services. She's helped a bit with the Shack, and I've helped in her with some of her own projects. Would you wanna stop by her place after this? I'd planned to meet with her today to help with something. She's nearly ditched her snobby persona from when we were kids."

"Sure, I'd love to. Though now this new development brings something into question. Just how has your relationship with her developed over the years I've been away," Mabel raised an eyebrow.

"Please, stop. You're being ridiculous."

"Am I? Maybe it's time to bring out my old matchmaking skills," she whispered to herself. Dipper couldn't be more thankful that the waitress came back with their food. A chance to change the subject.

* * *

Passing through the open gates and coming to a stop at the end of the roundabout in his Cadillac, Dipper and Mabel stepped outside and looked up at the Northwest manor. Just as graceful and extravagant as expected of the rich family, but it was also different in a weird way. She just couldn't pinpoint why. Stepping up to the front door, Dipper pressed the doorbell, a fancy tune playing. The door finally opened and there stood Pacifica wearing a short dress that was white above the waist with a flowered print below it, pearls hanging around her neck.

"Hello Dip—wait, Mabel?"

"Hey Pacifica. Been a while, hasn't it?" she returned with a smile.

"Uh yeah, it has. Come… come on in."

Pacifica led them beyond the grand hall and up the stairs into a large room that seemed to serve as a living room-slash-office, with couches, tables, lamps, and desks all in different sections. Sitting down, the blonde heiress motioned for them to follow.

"Crazy, I never thought I'd be seeing you again. You went to work as an investigator right? Someone failed to mention you were coming at all."

"Well it seems we were both kept out of the loop. I had no idea you'd been helping the town and Dipper and whatnot."

"How the times have changed huh? I guess now is the time I should apologize for being such a jerk when we were younger. I can't…."

"Don't worry Pacifica, that's water under the bridge. It's just good to see you again. We definitely need to catch up sometime."

"Sure, I'd like that."

"So you wanted my advice on something?" Dipper interjected.

"Right, yes. Here," standing up, she walked over to the desk, she collected a bunch of papers before coming back over to them.

"It's this contract for something I'm doing with the lumberjack family. I wanted to ask you if the terms seemed fair before I met with them."

"All right, I'll take a look for you," Dipper offered, holding his hand out for the paper. As Pacifica and her brother discussed business-related matters, Mabel found herself drifting off back to the case. With the markings carved into the skin, it could be the murderer is just mentally ill. It could also be a sort of cult following; thinking of that brought back memories of Gravity Falls' secret society. Or… maybe it was something business-related. Maybe, in some way or other, they'd all crossed the same person? And the person finally got back at them.

 _ **Peek-a-boo.**_

Mabel shot up in reaction to the voice. Dipper was facing the papers in his hand, but his eyes were directed at her. Had he heard it too?

"You okay?" he asked, his face full of concern and confusion. No, he hadn't. Must've been her thinking that she heard something. Pacifica was looking at her too now.

"No, no, don't worry, I'm fine. I just thought I heard something. My imagination. You guys take your time. I'll just walk around for a bit. Do you mind?"

"Of course not. Go ahead," Pacifica answered. Mabel left the room and wandered through the manor in an attempt to clear her head. Oddly she had come up with several new possibilities to explore while sitting with Dipper and Pacifica, but she couldn't be sure of any of them as of yet. Indeed some sort of cult activity seemed a likely candidate considering the markings and bloody nature of the deaths. Suddenly wanting to make it home to look into these, she waited by Dipper's car outside. After thirty-so minutes her brother finally showed up.

"Hey. Sorry, it took a little longer than expected."

"No problem, Dip."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'd just been lost in thoughts about the case, is all. Seriously, you need to relax."

"Okay, fine, I'll take your word for it. As soon as we get home I'll show what I got out of those ciphers."

"Thanks. And um… you still have those journals lying around somewhere right?"

Dipper gave her a look of surprise, "I do, and you're welcome to look at them, but why?"

"I started getting the idea that maybe this is some kind of cult. The journal talked a little about the Society of the Blind Eye remember? I mean it's a long shot considering there have been kills in more than just Oregon, but maybe it mentions some other underground organizations. I just wanna take a peak."

Dipper started the car and began the trip home.

"Hmm, interesting. Because of the scarring of the ciphers on the victims? I can't remember if there was a page talking about any cults or something, but I've done the most looking through journal #3 so who knows if there's something in the other two."

After they got back to the shack they entered his room. On his desk was a mess of papers with letters scrawled in a bunch of directions. He pulled out one and showed it to Mabel.

ORSBER GUR PENFUVAT YVTUG NAQ GUHAQREVAT EBNEF RAWBL GUR PNYZ ORSBER GUR FGBEZ

BEFORE THE CRASHING LIGHT AND THUNDERING ROARS, ENJOY THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

TNNWA GMEAE GHDII BHADB DSEIG TRTRI LIKES HHIXK NENY

THE END IS NIGH WITH A BRIGHT X MARKED IN A BLEEDING SKY

"How did you figure them out?"

"I started on the assumption that they were probably simple substitution ciphers. It wasn't too hard once I set my mind to it."

Reading them over, her idea felt more and more accurate. It was crazy talk, almost like some impending doom was coming. Maybe a strange demonic cult that believes Judgement Day is soon to be upon us.

"It definitely helps to support my suspicions. This sounds like some weird chant for a coming apocalypse."

"Surely a deranged group," Dipper muttered, his eyes squinting in thought.

"I guess I'll show this to the officers back at the station tomorrow, see what they make of it. This might be my big break!"

"Ah, you know I'm always here for you. I'll have the other two solved soon."

"But don't forget to keep this place up and running too. It's good to know with you around, there are some more legit attractions."

"Well, I actually care to look for all that supernatural stuff so I bring back souvenirs from time to time."

"Good. I think I'm gonna start on a bit of research. Now that I'm on the hunt for a possible cult, there might be older, related cases from surrounding areas that can help me with this one."

"Ok. I'll call you down for lunch when it's ready. Oh and here," Dipper opened up a drawer to his desk and pulled out three volumes.

"Great! I'll start looking through these. I know how dear to your heart they are," she placed a hand on his shoulder, "so it's an absolute honor that you let me look at them."

Before Dipper could retort with a comeback, Mabel went up to her room to get to work. Once she was out of sight, Dipper closed the door to his bedroom and set to organizing his papers. If anyone were around him now they probably would've noticed the yellow glint in his pupils.

 _She's so close and yet so far to it all._

 _We're driving out tomorrow… do I get the details in advance this time?_

 _You don't need them yet. Besides, it'll make for conversation while we're headed there._

 _You can be so annoying when you wanna be._

 _And you are an absolute riot when I mess with you._

 _…_

 _Aww,_ c'mon _, don't ignore me. If I leave you alone to relax for the rest of the day, can you promise to be more energetic tomorrow?_

 _I won't make any promises with you of all people but…._

 _That's not a no so that means it's a yes. I can't wait… ~Pine Tree._


	5. Recurring Bloodstains

Endless trees and other cars and occasional power lines swept by as Dipper drove his black sedan down the neverending highway. In the passenger seat was a man wearing a yellow button-up vest over a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, black pants, and black derby shoes with gold plating at the tip. He tied it all together with a top hat on his head and a bowtie around his neck. He was busy playing with a finger trap toy as the radio played some old rock 'n' roll song at low volume.

"You tell your sister?" Bill asked without moving his eyes away.

"No. Mabel will wake up and ask Stan where I am, and he'll tell her my well-planted story of visiting a business associate in Corvallis that helps me bring legitimate attractions to the Shack."

"William Cliff, eccentric man that collects weird artifacts and amulets… right?" Bill turned his head to Dipper with a grin and wink. Dipper just rolled his eyes in response.

"It's not entirely untruthful. I have gotten you some cool stuff from 'round the world to display at that tourist trap. I mean, I've lived centuries and seen everything there is to see. Of course I have a small collection built up."

"So who's this person we're going to pay a visit to?" Dipper asked to steer the subject.

"You're so impatient aren't you? Obsessively jealous man, he wanted to move up the ladder, and his best friend from when they were rookies had gotten the position he wanted. So, asked for a little assistance in clearing the playing field and boom, happily ever after for him. I'm always vague about what I get in return, so it works out well for our purposes, though for some I've given promises to only collect after a certain time, like with that Victoria lady."

"What was hers again?"

"Things had been going south for her husband, he turned to alcohol, coming home angry and drunk. Ending up leading to domestic abuse, and they had two kids to care for, so she just hated everything. Too scared to go to the police, so she ended up coming to me. Wanted him gone, so I drove him crazy and made him commit suicide. I promised I wouldn't come for her until her kids could take care of themselves or she had someone else who could look after them. She thought it fair enough and that was that."

"Awfully generous of you, I must say. I mean, the deal you made with me when I was younger was just plain trickery and deceit on your part."

"If there's something you should know about making deals with demons, is you gotta be very explicit. Otherwise we'll twist your vague request into something that technically means the same thing but with a very different outcome, like the whole 'puppet' ordeal. As for that deal with Hale in particular, sometimes you have to give a little to get a little. I let her puny family live their sorry normal lives for a few years while I get to rule this whole dimension. Who is the winner in the end?"

"You."

"Ding, ding, ding! Ten points to contestant 2!"

"Contestant 2?"

"'Cause I'm contestant 1 obviously."

"So much for team effort then," Dipper's eyes turned to slits.

"I can't tell jokes with you, can I?" Bill said with a false expression of hurt. Dipper remained silent for a few seconds before he couldn't keep his serious face on any longer.

"There we go. Loosen up a little, Sapling. If you would just do that, I think you would enjoy the whole process a lot more."

"Right."

The atmosphere turned quiet for a mere second before the demon popped another question.

"So, when can I drive!"

"Absolutely not. You'll kill us both."

"Nawh, I won't. Maybe. But mostly not. Come oooon," Bill turned to look at him, a puppy dog expression on his face.

"The answer will stay the same no matter what, I can promise you that."

"Ooh, wrong answer kid. You of all people should know not to present me with a challenge, because I will take it head on."

Dipper watched from the corner of his eyes, a grin of malicious tease growing on the demon's face.

* * *

Coming to a screeching halt, Dipper felt his heart get caught in his throat, going a mile a minute. Breathing in deeply, he turned to the driver's seat, only to find it empty. Getting out of the car, he saw Bill jingling the keys as he walked across the parking lot.

"Slowpoke, you're falling behind!" Bill announced in a joyful tone. Grabbing something in the dark from the back, Dipper finally closed the door and immediately heard the sound of the doors locking. Catching up to Bill, he was handed the keys and they walked in peaceful silence towards the apartments. They arrived to room 309, Dipper pulling ahead before Bill could decide to do something noisy and insane. Pulling out a gold key, Dipper placed it in the look and turned it sideways. A soft click sounded and Dipper smiled.

"Who knew how handy this key would turn out to be," Dipper murmured to himself before pushing the door open quietly. He caught the sounds of conversations, but there was static behind them, and the bright light from the television set could be seen from the door. Bill went ahead and Dipper let it so; it was him who was here to collect anyway.

"Hellooo," Bill called aloud. Dipper stood among the shadows, watching without being visible to the man. There was a shuffling of sheets and a loud scream of being startled.

"What the fuck! Who-what—"

"Shh, let's keep it down, huh? I suppose I'm not very recognizable like this."

There was shift in the light, a faint yellow cast about the room as Bill reverted to his almost cartoonish triangular form. When he spoke again, his voice was distorted and came with its familiar echo.

"You… that demon!"

"So glad you remember. I hate to intrude on such short notice, but as it turns out, I'm here to collect."

"What but… no, please, can't I—"

"The typical begging. I love how you humans can make deals which clearly mean an inevitable end so easily, as if you almost think I'll never come back, or it won't be any time soon. More time passes, the more your forget, and the more you live without realizing you won't make it to 60 or whenever old age finally comes. Now, the easy or hard way?"

The man jumped off the bed and made for the window trying to pry it open. With a snap of his fingers, a magical blue chain clamped around one of the man's legs, the end of it in Bill's hand.

"Always the hard way, I don't understand," Bill muttered, his eye flitting to Dipper in thought for a second before looking back down at the man. The man fought again the cuff around his leg, babbling nonsense, and Dipper could see the wet at the brim of his eyes. Approaching him, Dipper held the axe just barely above the ground.

"So, how'd you come across this psychotic creep, huh?" Dipper asked the man jovially. Given no the response, the man glared back in an attempt at anger, but the fear was obvious. Dipper set his mouth straight, holding the axe over the man's neck. Seeing the weapon in his assailant's hand, the man finally regained his senses. No longer distracted by his gripping fear, the man set out to scream for help. It wouldn't help his situation at this point, he knew, but if he could get someone to notice and call the police in time, his murderers might get caught that much more easily. But before he could put action to his thought, he felt he couldn't get his vocal cords to work in his favor. Blood shot up into his mouth and he had to cough it out. The initial increase in adrenaline couldn't keep the pain in his neck at bay forever, and he wanted to scream, this time out of pain rather than fear. The axe came down again and Dipper saw the light leave the man's eyes, his own were dark and fazed.

Dropping the bloody axe to the side, Dipper crouched down besides the man and pulled a small knife from his belt, getting to the work of marking his arm with the required symbols and words. When he was finished, he took the axe with him and entered the bathroom, the tap water running from behind the door.

Bill, back in his human form, sat himself down quietly on a lounge chair that had its fabric ripped at some edges. Playing with the finger trap, he watched mindlessly between the bathroom and the body on the floor. Dipper finally came out, and Bill thought of saying something, before deciding he'd let it wait for when they were on their way back home.

"You have the vial?" Dipper asked solemnly, turning around to see him twirling it in his hand. Despite Bill carelessly tossing it, Dipper managed to catch it easily, filling it with the victim's blood. Then standing back up, he corked it and walked out the door of the apartment without another word. Let out an exasperated sigh, Bill followed after him, closing the door. Before walking down the stairs to the parking lot, Bill double checked the security camera in the corner that he'd set fire to before they had entered. Catching up with the boy who was sitting on the hood of the car waiting, Bill pulled out the car keys but looked at Dipper, his eyes serious.

"Okay, what's your deal?"

"What?" Dipper asked, "we can't linger too long. Start the car and berate me on the way."

Bill could feel his anger rising, but he knew the kid had a point and so did what he asked. They drove away before Bill brought back the subject of conversation.

"What's on your mind?" Bill demanded again. Dipper hesitated, not really wanting to get into this again with the demon. He already knew where it would head. But no answer was all the answer he needed.

"You know if you don't talk I'll just pick around in your mind for what I want. Kid, you're being ridiculous getting worked up about that. You've said to me a thousand times that you want this. Everything has been unfair, and I'm here helping you make it right."

"Bill, you're being just as ridiculous. Yes, my sister is back, but that changes nothing. Whatever thoughts or feelings you're finding in there no longer hold true. Like you said, I've told you a thousand times right? So why are you doubting my ability to get the job done?"

Looking ahead to the road, Dipper was slightly surprised when a hand gloved in black reached under his chin and pulled him to look at Bill. His head was only turned slightly, still paying attention to the road, but his eyes glowed yellow as he stared at him. Dipper's mind blanked for a second, not sure whether he intended the action to be threatening or endearing. Finally he let go and let out a guffaw, putting both hands on the wheel again.

"I could never doubt you. I know you're fully to cause and it's just your old self creeping back. Don't worry Sapling, I will grant your every wish. What do you wish?"

And then, completely disregarding the time, the place, the circumstances, and his usual self, Dipper put on a genuine smile as he looked at the demon with his perfectly groomed mane of gold, "You're always there for me. I simply want to stay by your side and regain what I've lost."

 _"AND IT IS MY COMMAND."_


	6. To See or Not

Mabel muttered gibberish in annoyance to footsteps coming from down the hall, awakening her from her sleep. Looking up, she found herself in Stan's chair in the living room, pieces of paper scattered on the floor, on top of her, and a sticky note stuck to her face. She could barely wrench her eyes open.

"Sleep well?"

Startling up, Mabel's eyes met with her brother's at the doorway, an amused grin on his face. Mabel couldn't help give out a loud yawn, spreading to Dipper in its contagious nature.

"I… must've fallen asleep looking through the files, "Mabel said absentmindedly. Dipper approached and quickly gathered all the strewn-about sheets, handing them back to her in a neat order. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. I'd say you should probably get some shut-eye," Dipper recommended.

"Ya, I think I'll be up in—wait! You just got back! Hey, why didn't you tell me you were going up to Corvallis? To meet some guy! What if I wanted to go!"

"I'd had this planned out for weeks so I just didn't consider it; you just got here after all. He's a really private guy anyway, I don't think he'd have been too keen on me introducing him to my sister. And besides, as I can very much see, you're swamped with work. Would your bosses be happy with you tagging along for a hours-plus drive to and from there? You've got a criminal to catch, and to stop him from hurting anyone again you should focus. I didn't want to distract you. Who knows, I might tell him about you and let you meet him some other time."

Mabel squinted her eyes angrily and let out a huff before leaving it as it was. She couldn't deny any of his points actually.

"So, anything new?" Dipper asked, settling down on the floor. Mabel joined him, leaving the old lounge chair empty.

"Unfortunately no. I was up looking into cultic activity in the area, seeing where that would lead, and I think there's some promising—"

A muffled, bubbly ringtone cut her off, and Mabel looked around the room. Dipper found her phone pushed almost behind the lounge chair, handing it to his sister. Standing up, Mabel took the call and walked into the next room.

"I'm here, what's up?"

"Are you sure? Yeah, I'll be there soon as I can."

The beep of a closed call was followed by Mabel walking back into the room.

"Just called me to the station. Looks like I'll have my hands full today," Mabel said in explanation to Dipper.

"What's the reason?" Dipper asked, a tone of mild curiosity.

"I'll find out soon enough. I'll see you later today then bro," Mabel said before rushing upstairs to get dressed. Dipper stood up from the floor, his eyes aimless for a moment before heading into the gift shop to start his work for the day.

When Mabel went out to her car, she said a quick goodbye to her brother who was now at the register. Driving to the police station, she met up with Sheriff Blubs in a small empty meeting room.

"All right, what's the news?"

"Seems the police came across a body down in Eugene. Same MO as your unsub."

"No way. Dammit. Have they sent over photos at least?"

"Here," Blubs said, passing several to the agent. Looking through them, it was definitely similar handiwork. Examining the photos, the vibration of a text came through, and Mabel pulled out her phone.

 _Hey Mabes, the shop's been slow so in between I got to work with the other two ciphers. I'll send them to you._

ZKHQ JUDYLWB IDOOV DQG HDUWK EHFRPHV VNB IHDU WKH EHDVW ZLWK MXVW RQH HBH

WHEN GRAVITY FALLS AND EARTH BECOMES SKY FEAR THE BEAST WITH JUST ONE EYE

ZNLMT GSV GIVVH DRGSRM GSV SREVH SV DZGXSVH ZOO RM WRHTFRHV

AMONG THE TREES WITHIN THE HIVES HE WATCHES ALL IN DISGUISE

 _Lifesaver, thank you!_ Mabel texted back without reading through them.

"Oh! Where was the code this time?" Mabel asked Blubs while looking at the pictures for something noticeable.

"Uh… everywhere," he answered, pointing with his finger. With a closer look, Mabel realized that rather than letters, it was numbers scarred into the skin, starting from his forehead down.

"I'm gonna have to make the trip and see for myself. I'll keep in touch."

* * *

Driving in the unfamiliar area, it took Mabel some time to find the station and morgue the body was being held at. The impromptu drive to Eugene, Oregon wasn't her smartest choice, but she needed to get information on the killing immediately. As she walked to the doors, she pulled out her phone and finally gave the decoded ciphers her full attention. Most of it sounded like more cryptic nonsense, until one part caught her eye.

FEAR THE BEAST WITH JUST ONE EYE

Eye. Beast with one eye. Why did that tug at the back of her mind? She felt her childhood memories come back for some reason, but that was so long ago. What connection did….

Entering the police station, she could see it wasn't like Gravity Falls. There were people walking back and forth with all intents. Approaching the person at the desk, she introduced herself as the FBI agent connected to the recent homicide case. She was lead to the morgue where police officers talked with the examiner. Noticing her presence, they went silent and introduced themselves.

"You must be agent Pines. Thanks for arriving here so quickly. You wanted to see the body."

Shown the corpse, she could see the full extent of the etched numbers. Starting from the center of the man's forehead, it trailed down his chest and spiraled along his torso before stopping on the left side of the pelvis.

"I need to jot down those numbers."

"They mean something?"

"Yes. This unsub has done similar acts on the previous victims," Mabel answered, pulling out a notebook and following the trail of digits. Mabel asked a few more question about the circumstances under which they'd found the body. The man was Ricky Pach, apparently stuck in the muck from a variety of sources. It was no surprise he would die before his time, but that he was also connected to this killer of all people. More and more it seemed like they had all dealt with the murderer in one way or another, and not keeping their end had lead to their deaths. There was no other connection Mabel could make between the now five people. Mabel borrowed a computer at the station and looked at the code she'd written down. Looking at it for some time, she realized she actually had an idea by which it was coded. It was possibly the A1Z26 cipher. Going online, she easily found a decoder for that cipher. Typing in each number and checking it was correct, Mabel pressed decode.

15-6-6-5-18-19 13-1-4-5 1-14-4 19-1-3-18-9-6-9-3-5-19 6-15-21-14-4 6-15-18 20-8-5 1-12-12 19-5-5-9-14-7 1-12-12 11-14-15-23-9-14-7 5-25-5

OFFERS MADE AND SACRIFICES FOUND FOR THE ALL SEEING ALL KNOWING EYE

"Eye…. Beast…."

"Bill Cipher."


	7. To Be Invoked

Mabel opened the door to the shack, taking off her coat that was soaked by the rainstorm outside. The house was quiet, so she quickly made her way up to her room, when a voice caught her.

"You're back."

Mabel turned around too quick for her own good, and nearly stumbled on the steps. Dipper was about to reach out a hand, but she caught herself in time.

"Hey. I assumed everyone would be asleep."

"Just about. I was organizing some stuff."

"Oh. Well. It's been a long day so I'm just gonna head off to bed, ok?"

"Right. Mabes, you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine. Just…" Mabel's eyes shifted before she continued, "sometimes I just hit with the looming prospect of not being able to catch this monster. I feel like I go nowhere."

"If it's any consolation, I believe in you," Dipper responded.

Mabel smiled happily at that, but the warmth she felt for a moment wasn't enough to remove the goosebumps from her skin.

"Thanks, Dipper. You're always there for me when I need you most. I don't think… well, we make a good pair. Anyway… good night."

"Yeah. Get some shut-eye."

Mabel turned her back to him, finishing her journey up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door behind him. Mabel didn't move from that spot, resting her back against the door. Looking forward, she saw moonlight pouring in. The moon hovered right in the center of the triangle-shaped window, and Mabel suddenly felt a fear unfamiliar to her. It was different from when she was a kid. There were all matters of different implications.

What she was facing truly was monstrous, and she wondered just how deep and how far this monster would go to achieve his plans.

She would get no sleep tonight.

* * *

Dipper hadn't moved from his spot on the steps until hearing his sister close the door to her room. He stood still as he decided what his next move would be, finally walking down to his room and taking out a satchel he'd put in the bottom drawer of his desk. Pulling it over his shoulder, Dipper exited the house from the back door, walking out into the Oregon woods in the early hours of the night.

* * *

The sun was barely above the horizon as the alarm clock on Mabel's bedside table ticked slowly eight-thirty. Mabel was entirely covered by the bedsheets, her eyes closed, but fully awake. Grunkle Stan had called her for breakfast some while ago, but she'd just told him she wasn't hungry.

Indeed, just as she'd suspected, she didn't get an ounce of sleep. No doubt she had bags under her eyes. She honestly wasn't sure if she even believed it, despite the substantial evidence. She began to recall her memories almost like a photo reel of their battle against the demon triangle.

She remembered the fight she'd gotten into the Dipper when he told her about possibly staying in Gravity Falls with Ford. After the awful day she'd had, with her friends unable to come to her birthday party, and learning about the prospects of high school, hearing that her brother was considering leaving her was worse than anything. She had run off into the woods crying. Eventually grunkle Stan and Dipper had gone after her when she didn't come back. They'd been successful, Ford and Dipper had managed to seal the rift, and Bill was stopped.

It was then that she and Dipper talked, and he had decided to come back with her to California. Mabel couldn't have been more relieved—it was all she thought about, thankful that Dipper had come to his senses. Grunkle Ford had told them that the worse was over, but now that one rift had formed because of his portal, there was a weakness between our dimension and Bill's, and it was quite possible another could appear. After detecting some anomalies near the Arctic Ocean, Ford was willing to leave the Shack in Stan's care as he went on the journey alone. Years passed, and Dipper eventually moved to Gravity Falls to run the gift shop alongside grunkle Stan, while she became an FBI agent.

 _Then_ , Mabel pondered, _did a new rift actually open? Is that how Bill managed to return? Did Ford know?_ Not to mention Mabel had no idea how or even if she would tell Dipper. She'd avoided it last night when she got back from Eugene, but he had a right to know. Ford wasn't here, so if Bill really was back, how would they stop him? Her thoughts were becoming too overwhelming, and without knowing what she could do, she could feel anguish creeping up on her.

At the very least, she should tell Dipper. He'd know better than her. Finally deciding, Mabel got dressed and knocked on Dipper's door. When there was no answer, Mabel called his name only to receive silence.

"Dipstick… I'm gonna come in…" Mabel murmured, opening the door. When she found nobody inside, a worry gripped at her, but she passed it off knowing he might be at the register of the gift shop. Going into the shop, when she saw grunkle Stan standing there, the worry came back.

"Hey sweetie, done with your beauty sleep?" Stan said with a smile as he organized the display on the front desk.

"Uh huh. Was just tired from the trip yesterday. Grunkle Stan, um, do you know where Dipper is?"

"Dipper? No. I haven't seen him all day to be honest. He sometimes goes off into the woods to do research for those dumb journals. If you find him, tell him he's taking over soon as he gets back."

"Okay. Thanks!" Mabel said, walking out to the porch.

"Dipper… where are you…." Mabel murmured, her eyes watery, before they caught the distant orange glow.

* * *

Dipper happened upon a large clearing deep in the forest. Opening up his bag, he pulled out one of five full vials. Pouring its contents onto the dirt below, he used his shoe to spread the red liquid into a shape. He did this at five points with all five vials, connecting them into a pentagram. He then took out a small knife and a sixth empty bottle. Taking the knife to his wrist, he slit it and poured his own blood into the vial. He used his blood to draw symbols at all five ends of the pentagram. When he was done, he took a step back. He put the last vial back in his bag, returning with a white strip he'd ripped from a bandage roll. He wrapped and tied it around his wrist as tightly as he could.

Just then, a hand fell down on his shoulder, knowing it was Bill in his human form beside him.

"Everything is going rather swimmingly, eh Pine Tree?" Bill pointed out, though not really as a question. Dipper didn't respond, simply staring ahead of him towards the dense forest.

"Kid, pay attention to me," Bill said, his voice a little louder and with a bit more echo.

"Sorry. It's just… my head hurts."

"You think too much. Come on, be honest with yourself. You know you can count on me, right?"

"You're the only person I can count on," Dipper recited as if from memory.

"Exactly. Who was there for you when you didn't know what to do about anything while the one person you could count on left for some top-notch school across the state?"

"You."

"And when that one other person made you give up an amazing opportunity battling monsters and doing all the science-y, nerdy stuff you love?"

"You."

"So chin up and keep focus. Let's finish this," as Dipper could hear shuffling behind him. Looking back at him finally, he saw that familiar face he found comfort in, his yellow eyes glowing slightly in the dark. Bill's left hand still on the other's shoulder, he put out his right.. Dipper took it, grasping it firmly as he managed a genuine smile, before letting go.

"Attaboy," Bill said with a wink, before turning his attention the demonic summoning circle, "now with this, I'll be able to bring my physical form and all my powers with me to this dimension. Because all I am now is merely a well-made illusion, a hologram that can touch, hear, taste, and sense, fueled by the pact you and I made years ago."

Bill suddenly moved surprisingly close, almost touching Dipper's back. He moved his left hand to Dipper's other shoulder, placing his head in its previous place.

"Dipper. Thank you."

"Thank _you_ , Bill."


End file.
